This article will sets out 12 FPL tips you can follow for a strong season and hopefully give you enough to grab the coveted 1st place and win your FPL mini-league.
Fantasy Premier League is a straightforward game. It’s us managers that tend to complicate it especially when it comes with pressure of trying to out-fox your mates.
On the whole, good planning using all the information available to us is positive but you can easily become overloaded with information. Amongst the web of stats, tactics and xG we’re bound to discover a conflicting opinion that makes us doubt ourselves. It’s important to remember what has worked for us before and keep a cool head if you want to win your FPL mini-league.
1. Don’t Chase the Points
Every fantasy manager has been guilty of this when they first start playing. A cheap CDM scores a brace in Gameweek 1 and everyone jumps on the bandwagon expecting a repeat performance. Spoiler alert: he regresses back to his 2 pointers, earning a spot on the bench for those managers.
You need to be able to seperate good Fantasy players from good players in real life. It’s not always a direct match. Take time to think it through and you will be able to spot them.
With these types of players it’s important not to be afraid of ownership. It can rocket after performances like that but a seasoned FPL manager will know that scoring isn’t sustainable. To succeed in Fantasy Football and win your FPL mini-league you need to bring in next week’s points, not last weeks.
2. Select Players with Multiple Paths to Points
Select players whose play style or position provides them with multiple paths to points is vital to winning your FPL mini-league. You want players who can get you points from goals, assists, clean sheets and even bonus points.
A great example of a player who fits into this category is Kieran Trippier. Part of a consistent Newcastle defence, on set pieces and often in the bonus points he offers a constant source of points.
When selecting a goalkeeper, look for keepers who make a lot of saves. An extra point for every three saves is nothing to scoff at. These tend to be budget friendly and if they keep a clean sheet are likely to be in the bonus points.
3. Boost Team Value
Timing your transfers to build team value could give you a huge advantage over your mini league when it comes to later in the season. Getting players in early before price increases will increase your team value. More team value means more flexibility in the players you can get.
Majority of price rises usually happen in earlier gameweeks as undervalued players who perform get picked up by managers. But always keep a lookout for players who are good picks and rising in value as the season progresses. However, just remember, points are what matters most. Do not sacrifice points just to build your team value.
At the start of the season when there’s less fixture congestion, you can risk going earlier as injuries or rotation is less prominent. But once other cup competitions are in motion, look at making the majority of my transfers as late as possible.
4. Keep an Eye on the Fixtures
Fixtures are crucial in FPL as they can impact a manager’s team performance, points potential, captaincy choices, and transfer decisions.
Some premium players are fixture proof but to win your FPL mini-league, it’s essential to pay attention to upcoming fixtures and plan ahead by identifying favourable runs and potential differentials. Switching out the players who are in for tough ride over the next few games puts in the odds in your favour. You might even gain a bit of extra team value being ahead of the curve – can’t argue with that.
5. Avoid Unnecessary Hits
Approaching transfers in FPL with the right mindset is crucial to your success. Taking wasteful point hits and making impulsive transfers is an easy way to red arrows. Take your time with your transfers and give them the proper amount of thought.
6. Maximise your Chips
Chips are limited-use items that can provide a significant boost to win your FPL mini league if used wisely. There are three chips available in FPL: Bench Boost, Free Hit and Triple Captain. Alongside the chips we also get two wildcards – one which must be used by Gameweek 20 and another available from Gameweek 20 until end of the season.
It’s typically most effective to save your chips for nearer the end of the season when there are blank and double gameweeks to navigate. Not having these chips or wildcard can make this period very difficult, forcing point hits or sub-optimal teams.
7. Check the Data
Many managers rely on the players’ past performance and current form to make their decisions. However, by looking beyond the points scored and instead focusing on player’s underlying stats can provide a better insight into their potential future performance.
These underlying stats include metrics such as expected goals (xG), expected assists (xA), and key passes, which can give a clearer picture of a player’s involvement in their team’s attacking play. Important data points for potential midfielder or forward transfers for your team.
For defenders and goalkeepers, the chance for a clean sheet is top of the list with attacking metrics secondary. By considering these underlying stats, FPL managers can make more informed decisions when it comes to selecting their squad. You might even unearth hidden gems that others miss.
8. Pick the Right Captain
Picking the right captain can make the difference between a good gameweek and a bad one. No-one wants to be the wrong side of a hat-trick.
When deciding who to captain in any given gameweek there are two factors to consider: fixtures and player reliability.
To win your FPL mini-league the importance of fixtures as we touched on before cannot be overlooked. Focus your captaincy pool each gameweek to a couple standout fixtures – typically games where a strong team in the top half of the Premier League faces a team nearer the bottom or badly out-of-form.
When favourable fixtures are identified, you can look for the most reliable players from those strong teams. This reliability might be their 200+ points in previous FPL seasons or encouraging underlying stats for the current season.
9. Have a Plan
Arguably the best part about FPL is the tinkering with your team, trying to work out your moves for success. Always have a long term plan for your team. Look ahead to next five matches at least. Identify teams who have good and bad fixture runs.
This information will support you in deciding on which players to transfer out as well as their possible replacements.
Having your moves ready for these fixture swings is a massive advantage, especially over the more casual FPL managers. It underpins the
10. Look out for Team News
Throughout the season it’s important for FPL managers to stay up-to-date with latest information on player’s availability and fitness. Press conferences can be your sneak peak at a players in doubt or ruled out of the next game with an injury.
Keeping track of teams news will also give you an advance notice of players returning from injury and primed for selection. Being early on these players could be the differential to separate you from the rest of the mini league.
For the top FPL performance, manager’s quotes on tactics and formation can even help you discover “out-of-position” prospects.
There are many sources for this kind of information but one great option is news articles posted on Fantasy Premier League News
11. Take Calculated Risks
It typically pays to be a risk-averse manager. However, there are times when taking chances can be beneficial to your team performance.
One instance where a hit might make sense is captaincy. If a premium asset you don’t own is going to be heavily backed in your mini-league and you don’t like the other options in your squad, bringing in a captain for -4 can minimise the damage.
When it comes to blank and double Gameweeks the conventional thinking doesn’t apply. A hit for a player who has a blank is more of a ‘-2’ as the player you’d bring in will make-up two points on appearance alone. We’d recommend only bringing in these kind of players if you want them for the weeks after the blank gameweek. No point booking in unnecessary transfers for the sake of one week unless your plan can accommodate it.
In double gameweeks, a hit for a player with two fixtures can pay dividends as he has two games to score points and more potential to deliver big returns.
12. Monitor your Mini League
As the old saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Throughout the season keeping an eye on the managers around you in the mini league can help you in predicting and possibly even countering their moves.
Trying to close a gap on the manager in front? Bring in a differential or switch up your premium players.
Trying to hold onto a lead late into the season? Reduce the differentials in the chasing manager’s team by matching moves.
A plan is important and identifying the tactics from the managers around you can turn a good plan into a great plan to win your FPL mini-league.
